A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lacrosse sticks and, more particularly, to shooting string and thong elements used in a lacrosse stick pocket.
B. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 1A, a traditional lacrosse stick stringing assembly configuration 10 usually comprises four longitudinal leather thong elements 12 which extend between respective apertures 22 defined in the part of a head of a lacrosse stick known as the scoop 16, and the base of the head adjacent to the part of a lacrosse head known as the stop 23. Each leather thong element 12 comprises one or more vertical slits 20 for attaching leather thong element 12 in an aperture 22 provided in scoop 16 of the head. An open weave cross lacing 14 extends transversely to interconnect leather thong elements 12 to the head frame and maintain the same in a predetermined space relation. Open weave cross lacing 14 wraps around leather thong elements 12 in certain sections, but may also extend through vertical slits provided in leather thong elements 12. The overall assembly thus forms what is referred to as a traditionally strung pocket for catching, carrying and throwing the lacrosse ball.
Another lacrosse stick stringing configuration known in the art is the mesh configuration. Rather than the longitudinal thongs and open weave lacing of the traditional lacrosse stick stringing configuration, the mesh configuration employs a mesh knitted as a continuous strip of woven material (see FIG. 1B) having a plurality of openings or xe2x80x9cmesh diamondsxe2x80x9d provided therein. The mesh is peripherally coupled to the head of the lacrosse stick by multiple stringing cords or other binding materials. Still another conventional stringing configuration 30, as shown in FIG. 1B, includes a central mesh portion 32 and open weave lacing 34 interconnecting mesh portion 32 to side walls 38 of the head frame. This configuration provides sufficient flexibility to a central portion of the pocket, facilitating formation of a suitable ball pocket due to the relatively non-deformable open weave lacings.
In all conventional stringing configurations, transverse lacing 26 (in FIG. 1A), 36 (in FIG. 1B), also known as xe2x80x9cthrowstringsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cshooting strings,xe2x80x9d is further provided adjacent the scoop of the lacrosse stick head. Conventional shooting strings are made from cord, shoe-lace or other string-like material, including woven synthetic materials such as nylon, and are interwoven among the pocket lacing and leather thongs or in between the mesh diamonds. In addition to supporting the pocket stringing, the shooting strings prevent the thrown ball from traveling too far up the pocket assembly and striking the scoop area of the head. A ball striking the scoop area causes inaccurate passing and shooting of the ball. Thus, shooting strings are designed to be the point of departure of a thrown ball, facilitating accurate passing and shooting. Players use one or more shooting strings in a variety of locations and positions in the pocket in an effort to fine-tune and adjust their pocket to suit their style of play regarding catching, cradling and throwing the ball. These same shooting string materials may be interwoven among the pocket lacing and leather thongs or in between the mesh diamonds in the pocket from sidewall to sidewall in an arc-like or upside down V or U-shape, enhancing pocket formation and ball location, and creating a channeling-like effect when the ball is cradled, carried or thrown.
Unfortunately, traditional shooting string and thong element materials rot, break, crack, wear out, absorb water, and stretch due to weather conditions and the constant wear and tear of catching and throwing a lacrosse ball. Also, the surface of traditional shooting strings that makes contact with lacrosse ball provides little consistency or design variability to the pocket, such surface being randomly determined by the mesh diamond-like designs or the traditional leather thong elements and open weave cross lacing through which shooting strings have been interwoven. In addition, traditional shooting strings and longitudinal thongs are not easy to adjust since they require loosening of knots made to hold them in place and a tedious adjustment process along the parts of the shooting string and thong that are interwoven among the pocket lacing or mesh diamonds.
An object of the invention is to provide flexible, tube-like polymer shooting string and thong elements for a lacrosse stick that overcome the problems of the related art by virtue of their adjustability, consistency, durability and varied properties.
A further object of the present invention is to provide flexible, tube-like polymer shooting string and thong elements for a lacrosse stick that are easily interwoven with either mesh or traditionally strung pockets.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide flexible, tube-like polymer shooting string and thong elements for a lacrosse stick that are lightweight and water resistant, enhance lacrosse ball catching and throwing, and provide greatly improved abrasion-resistant qualities.
Another object of the present invention is to provide flexible, tube-like polymer shooting string and thong elements for a lacrosse stick that offer a player more options to fine tune the pocket and prevent undesirable slipping of the open weave cross lacing design, sometimes referred to as xe2x80x9cdiamondsxe2x80x9d by those skilled in the art.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide flexible, tube-like polymer shooting string and thong elements that allow a player more easily to control the depth of the pocket, permitting custom pocket choices not available with traditional shooting strings and thongs.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention comprises a head for a lacrosse stick, having: a frame member having first and second side walls, each of the side walls having a proximal end and a distal end, the frame member further having a scoop extending between the distal ends of the side walls, and a stop extending between the proximal ends of the side walls; a web for receiving a ball, the web being attached to the frame member; and one or more tube-like polymer elements extending transversely and/or longitudinally within the frame member.
To further achieve the objects, the present invention comprises a head for a lacrosse stick, having: a frame member having first and second side walls, each of the side walls having a proximal end and a distal end, the frame member further having a scoop extending between the distal ends of the side walls, and a stop extending between the proximal ends of the side walls; a web for receiving a ball, the web being attached to the frame member; and one or more polyurethane cords extending transversely and/or longitudinally within the frame member.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.